Overview of Internet in The Gambia

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Overview of Internet in The Gambia

• By Muhammed Jah
• QuantumNET Company Limited

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What is covered?

• History of Internet in The Gambia
• Current Situation Achievements
• Issues Constraints
• Recommendations Strategies

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Brief History of the Internet in The Gambia

• 1992-1993 GAMTEL offered X.25 Network Services
  in GBA
• 1993 BICI pioneered X.25 WAN in GBA
• 1995 GAMTEL introduced CompuServe Services with
  limited internet access through X.25 with BT Info
  Services
• 1996 Delphi Internet services introduced

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Brief History (contd.)

• Mar. 1997 Abuja Meeting - UNDP Internet
  Initiative for Africa
• Oct. 1998 2MBps Full Internet backbone
  nationwide , with 512K gateway bandwidth
• Nov. 1998 2 ISPs operational, Gamtel QuantumNET

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Reference Point

• Population 1.3 million
• Literacy 37
• 24 Senior Sec. Schools
• 3 Higher learning institutions
• UOG being established
• Access to PCs limited

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Current Situation - Connectivity

• Basic Infrastructure
• Countrywide Internet backbone with 12 PoPs.
• No. 3 in Africa, after S.Africa and Egypt,
• ISPs connect directly to backbone, no intt
  access

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Current Situation - Connectivity
512K
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Current Situation - Connectivity

• Dialup Users
• 1997 lt150
• 2000 Total may be 3000 - 5000 people with access
  (due to sharing), lt100 in rural 120 access lines

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Current Situation - Connectivity

• Senior Secondary Schools with access
• 6 -10 in GBA, 2 in Provinces, all dialup
• Higher Educational Institutions
• 2 with full connectivity GTMI MDI
• Others on dialup like UoG, Gambia College, GTTI,
  RDI

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Current Situation (connectivity contd.)

• Research Centers
• 1 with full connectivity MRC (Fajara
  Farafenni)
• NGOs
• Virtually all on dialup, UNDP on full link.
• Hotels and Travel agents
• All, on dialup.
• Gov. Mins Depts.
• All in GBA, on dialup.
• Cyber-Cafes
• about 10 in 18 months, all in the GBA! 40
  Gambians

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Current Situation - Cost

• Investment
• Before 50, 000 for X.25
• AfterTotal Invest probably gtUS2M
  mainly by UNDPlt GAMTEL QuantumNET.
• Dialup Charges
• Before 10cents/minute traffic
• After 17 unlimited access
  2 cents/minute telephone
  charges
• Leased Charges
• Before Not applicable
• After 1,500/month for 64K
  3000/month for 128K

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Current Situation - Capacity building

• Training
• Before few indigenous personnel with knowledge
• After Over 20 personnel from potential ISP's
  trained on Internetworking through IIA
• Equipment
• Before X.25 switch
• After Cisco routers, access servers, Suns, etc

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Current Situation - Key players

• Gov. Dept. of State for Works Comm.
• UNDP
• GAMTEL
• Private ISP
• Private Sector - small businesses especially
• NGOs, EDU sector, include research institutions

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Issues Constraints

• KEY ISSUES
• Policy and Regulation
• Connectivity Costing
• PARTNERSHIP Advocacy - awareness (I-Week)
• Innovation good choice of ICT deployment
• ICT Curriculum and Fast Track programs

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Issues Constraints

• Very Low PC penetration
• figure not known
• Low telephone density
• provinces especially
• Very low Computer literacy level
• determined by school literacy
• Electricity problems
• especially outside GBA many fear to install PCs

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Issues Constraints

• ISP operational cost too high
• 64k connection at 16,000 pa and Licensing fee
  US4,000 pa, running costs (electricity,
  salaries, security).
• Low Market base, Revenue Collection, No customer
  roaming
• High PC costs
• due to import tax, etc.
• Non-ISP Host Connection too high
• Gamtel charges same rate applied to ISP at
  16,000 pa, Special concession 60 discount given
  to EDU
• Low Digital resources
• little online data.

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Recommendations Strategies

• Gov. DOS WC finalize Internet policy issues in
  NACIP currently in draft
• Reduction in Tariffs
• Advocacy more for Internet on public media
  (I-WEEK 2000, ISOC Gambia Chapter)
• Introduce IT education in schools

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Recommendations Strategies

• DOS WC set clear-cut deliberate policies
• DOS WC institute different boards and working
  groups for ICT development.
• Policy on digitalization of Gov. offices and
  public data in key institutions health, finance,
  etc
• Academic institutions be empowered to take charge
  of Internet administration
• 0 tax on IT imports for EDU purposes

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Recommendations Strategies

• Differential tariff structure, to encourage more
  host connection and thus demand.
• Deploy inexpensive sharing technologies e.g.
  Proxy routers, Domain Mail software for schools
  and training centers, etc. all free with Linux
  and other packages.
• ISDN connection alternative, can be cheaper for
  Small businesses.

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Recommendations Strategies (Contd)

• Our current facility came as a result of UNDP
  GoG. Partnership in IIA project
• ISPs work in partnership with NGOs to deliver
  services in rural areas, both benefit.
• Technology Programs on GRTS and radio stations
• Creation of working groups who can co-ordinate
  these kind of activities and help build capacity
  especially for CONTENT development

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Conclusion

• The way forward
• Commitment dedication of all key players to
  ensure that Internet is accessible and affordable
  to everyone